Iran, US made 'good progress' in talks, both sides say

The US and Iran "made very good progress" in direct and indirect discussions, a US official said.

"We agreed to meet again next week and are grateful to our Omani partners for facilitating these talks and to our Italian partners for hosting us today," the official said in a statement on Saturday.

The official said the second round of talks in Rome lasted more than four hours.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the talks as "constructive and good."

"This time we managed to reach a better understanding on a series of principles and goals," he told Iranian state TV.

Before the next round, Araghchi said there would be expert-level technical discussions between the two sides in Oman starting this Wednesday.

Earlier, the Iranian news agency IRNA said a third round will take place next week, without specifying the location.

Back to talks

The indirect nuclear talks, which began last Saturday in Muscat, have been focused on Iran’s nuclear program, with the two sides communicating through Oman as an intermediary.

Araghchi was a negotiator of the 2015 deal. His US counterpart, Steve Witkoff, is a real estate magnate whom Trump has also tasked with talks on Ukraine.

Iran currently enriches uranium up to 60 percent, far above the 3.67 percent limit in the deal but still below the 90 percent threshold required for weapons-grade material.

US President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Iran if a new agreement is not reached to replace the 2015 nuclear deal brokered under the Obama administration.

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Source: TRT